15, Knightrider Street

House, probably with partial industrial use at one time, located on Knightrider Street in Maidstone.

The building comprises a north range of late mediaeval date with late 16th-century alterations, a west early 17th-century wing, further extended to the west in the early 19th century, and an extension to the south east of the same period probably originally having some industrial purpose. The structure is timber-framed with the frame partially exposed on the south front, mainly covered in weatherboarding but with some stock brick to the north front. The ground floor to north and south fronts is stuccoed. Tiled roofs with brick chimneystacks are present except to the south east wing which is slate. The building is two storeys except for the three storey south east wing, with irregular fenestration mainly comprising sashes, some with marginal glazing. The plan is roughly L-shaped.

The north wing originally contained a three bay probable late mediaeval open hall with an inserted floor and chimneystack. The exposed timberframing on the east and south fronts displays jowled posts and four arched windbraces. A gablet to the roof indicates a possible smoke hole to the original open hall. The ground floor was underbuilt in the early 19th century in painted brickwork with a four-light 20th-century window. The north front of the north wing has a gable with an off-centre brick chimneystack of 19th-century brickwork replacing a late 16th-century inserted chimney, and 19th-century sashes. The west front has three gables of early 19th-century date with a steeply pitched earlier roof behind. The first floor is weatherboarded with three early 19th-century 16-pane sashes. The ground floor has a right side canted bay and left side marginal-glazed sash with coloured glass, floral paterae and lion's head masks, and a central double doorcase with marginal glazed rectangular fanlights. The south front of the west wing is of two bays with a right side gable with a covered wooden bressumer below and windows blocked at the time of inspection. At the south eastern corner is a three storey one bay early 19th-century extension mainly weatherboarded with a slate roof, one casement window and first floor door, probably originally having an industrial use.

Interior: The north wing has exposed frame. The ground floor has a moulded spine beam and a large fireplace opening which now contains a 20th-century fireplace, though the original late 16th-century inserted fireplace may survive behind. The first floor central bay has a jowled post and chamfered beams with lamb's tongue stops. A corner room has exposed floor joists with chamfers and triangular stops. The roof contains a winder staircase reached through a plank door and the top of the original brick chimneystack. The roof structure has purlins and principal rafters. The west wing has a 17th-century roof. The central room has an early 17th-century ceiling with chamfered beams and lamb's tongue stops and two upright posts to the spine beam with zigzag decoration and a 17th-century plank door. The ground floor has early 17th-century plank and muntin panelling to the corridor and there are newel steps to a basement. At the junction of the two wings is an early 19th-century well staircase with stick balusters and column newel posts and a round-headed window with y-bracing, blocked at the time of survey.